Mike Anthony: As the divorce proceedings continue, UConn and AAC looking to move on with their new respective lives

[DefCONNOne]

The key to making the UConn football future work is controlling the factors around UConn and football. A local schedule, some buy games- a winning record. There will be bowl games in the future- SNY will at the very least produce the football games- so kids locally will be on TV. This plan is for viability and survival- it is about getting ahead of the trends, it is about turning this program around and getting people into the Rent. It is about increasing donations. It is about controlling the eyeballs and not being behind a paywall.

It is not about winning a conference that would net the university overall a crap sandwich from ESPN. It is not about jetting to Tulsa or ECU. It is not about ceding all control to a conference that we don't fit into. And most of all, it isn't about drinking the cool aid. This is forward thinking, this is about UConn Nation(the fans), driving people to the games and rebuilding the lost feeling of excitement. Apathy had set in and rigor mortis wasn't too far behind.

Compelling tale. Too bad winning football games destroys that narrative.

 

[Husky68]

Reasons for skepticism? Loss of home conference games. Little to no leverage when it coLes to scheduling games. Lots of 2 for 1s on deck. No bowl games ever, absent a historical season by UConn standards. Will we be on SNY? Maybe. But how many screens does that put us on? And where? Outside of NY, CT, and NJ, who gets SNY? Honest question. I’m in CT and I don’t get it.

Your opinion of UConn’s value runs contrary to everything that has happened in conference realignment, but sure, push that narrative. There’s no evidence to support your opinion, and plenty to contradict it, but have fun with that.

The AAC falling apart without UConn is based on what exactly? We were the outlier. Is Tulsa going to do better? Where is Tulane going to go to do better? Who is taking ECU?

Value and performance are two different things. The years Notre Dame had that high school coach leading them were pretty poor but ND was and is ND. UConn in my opinion (worth what you have to pay me for it) makes the AAC a "national" player, east coast people at least look at it enough to say "boy UConn really sucks in football, what happened, that Suzy chick really knows how to run an athletic department into the ground". ESPN+ would have got lot more takers with UConn still in it. So yeah, UConn had value to AAC.
If I were the AAC, I'd consider keeping UConn for football only. Why have Navy as football only?
Value to AAC is different than value to B10 or ACC, those conferences would have been better to not have brought in last group of teams, maybe B10 got enough tv viewers but ACC didn't get much with Fruit and Pitt.

 

[UC1995]

Navy doesn’t play D1 basketball and Witchita doesn’t play DI football. That’s why it works

 

[UCONNJACK]

Navy doesn’t play D1 basketball and Witchita doesn’t play DI football. That’s why it works

The Patriot League isn’t D1 since when?

 

[GridironGR8]

The Patriot League isn’t D1 since when?

The Patriot League is D1, but the key here is that it plays D1 FCS football. Navy, like Army and the AirForce Academy aspires to play winning football against the Big Boys. Can't do that in the Patriot League.

 

[MustangMan]

Value and performance are two different things. The years Notre Dame had that high school coach leading them were pretty poor but ND was and is ND. UConn in my opinion (worth what you have to pay me for it) makes the AAC a "national" player, east coast people at least look at it enough to say "boy UConn really sucks in football, what happened, that Suzy chick really knows how to run an athletic department into the ground". ESPN+ would have got lot more takers with UConn still in it. So yeah, UConn had value to AAC.
If I were the AAC, I'd consider keeping UConn for football only. Why have Navy as football only?
Value to AAC is different than value to B10 or ACC, those conferences would have been better to not have brought in last group of teams, maybe B10 got enough tv viewers but ACC didn't get much with Fruit and Pitt.

Due to the number of Navy veterans in most cities, Navy is a great team to have visit your stadium. Ex: my brother-in-law always takes his sons plus 2-3 friends when Navy comes to town. Week in week out, probably “travel” better than any team in the AAC. For the same reason, they are a better TV draw than all but the best AAC teams.

There is a reason that some of the bowls are tied directly to the service academies.

 

[Pudge]

Due to the number of Navy veterans in most cities, Navy is a great team to have visit your stadium. Ex: my brother-in-law always takes his sons plus 2-3 friends when Navy comes to town. Week in week out, probably “travel” better than any team in the AAC. For the same reason, they are a better TV draw than all but the best AAC teams.

There is a reason that some of the bowls are tied directly to the service academies.

it could be the nicest day in Highland Park … and the SMU stadium wouldn't have a buzz. Just is not a priority in the SMSA nor for the student bodies.

 

[UC1995]

The Patriot League isn’t D1 since when?

Point taken but their basket ball isn’t set up for big time basketball and never aspired to be. Football has been national for ever. We asked Navy to come back. They didn’t ask us.

 

[UConnNick]

Point taken but their basket ball isn’t set up for big time basketball and never aspired to be. Football has been national for ever. We asked Navy to come back. They didn’t ask us.

Ask Billy Self what he thinks of Patriot League BB. Bucknell knocked his Jayhawks out of the NCAAs one year, along with a couple other teams. Patriot League teams have either pulled upsets or come pretty damn close many times. American had Villanova down by 14 points midway through the second half in a first round game played in Philly. Play that game anywhere but at home and Nova loses.

 

[BlueMAB]

Value and performance are two different things. The years Notre Dame had that high school coach leading them were pretty poor but ND was and is ND. UConn in my opinion (worth what you have to pay me for it) makes the AAC a "national" player, east coast people at least look at it enough to say "boy UConn really sucks in football, what happened, that Suzy chick really knows how to run an athletic department into the ground". ESPN+ would have got lot more takers with UConn still in it. So yeah, UConn had value to AAC.
If I were the AAC, I'd consider keeping UConn for football only. Why have Navy as football only?
Value to AAC is different than value to B10 or ACC, those conferences would have been better to not have brought in last group of teams, maybe B10 got enough tv viewers but ACC didn't get much with Fruit and Pitt.

If UConn was valuable enough to cause the AAC to fold just by leaving, then UConn was valuable enough to get an invite to the ACC regardless of BCU’s objections.

Notre Dame and UConn don’t belong in the same breath when discussing conference realignment. It’s silly to even bring them up. Of course UConn has value to the AAC. So what? I didn’t say otherwise. You might want to read the posts I’m responding to because you’re taking the side of someone who argues the MAC will take Witchita St because “why not?”.

 

[Husky68]

If UConn was valuable enough to cause the AAC to fold just by leaving, then UConn was valuable enough to get an invite to the ACC regardless of BCU’s objections.

Notre Dame and UConn don’t belong in the same breath when discussing conference realignment. It’s silly to even bring them up. Of course UConn has value to the AAC. So what? I didn’t say otherwise. You might want to read the posts I’m responding to because you’re taking the side of someone who argues the MAC will take Witchita St because “why not?”.

I'm not arguing anything other than what I said. UConn has a value to AAC more so than recent record. Having value to AAC with Tulsa, ECU, Tulane, etc. is not saying it will fold without UConn or that UConn has value to B10 or ACC. See if AAC contract gets "down graded" in $'s and/or if NBE get upgraded.

 

[Guapo]

This is the only place where people still question this move.

 

[nadav]

Wichita State is ecstatic to be in the AAC. They jumped at the chance to leave the Missouri Valley Conference, and the departure of UConn doesn't change anything.

The AD at Wichita State strongly disagrees

 

[uconnell]

This is the only place where people still question this move.

They aren’t us!

 

[HuskyDogArt]

UConn never seemed to "click" with most of the AAC schools. Poor football. Attendance down. Perhaps a few more attractive games. Better football. Attendance increases. People are stupid, but not because of UConn. in spite of it.

I have to say that we were alone in the AAC. We didn't have any teams that we could be rivals. UCF rival is USF, just 60 miles down the road, it wasn't ever going to be UConn. We don't have a natural rival in the league. It could've been Temple, but I'd love to see us and UMass play every year. I hope BC will decide that UConn is worthy of playing them and I'd love to see us get some home games with big boys, too.

That said, I'll miss going to see USF UConn games at RayJay and the AAC championship baseball games here in Clearwater. I try to get to a few games. I know the USF women's basketball team is happy to see UConn leaving. They will be the champion...

 

[HuskyDogArt]

I just didn't mention Navy and you know that. I used Navy as one end of a huge region of the country. I also mentioned Tulsa, Tulane, and ECU, all schools of questionable value in flying thousands of miles to play them. Now if they were Notre Dame or Boise State, Auburn, Texas, BYU, and Arizona it might be doable and definitely help in recruiting, but flying all those miles to play Tulsa, ECU, or Tulane is insane when as an independent we can schedule games with Syracuse, Pitt, BC, or Rutgers right in our backyard.

I doubt that the ACC teams will play us, because of the now idiot Senator. I'm hoping I'm wrong. I think why Louisville got in was to spite us, because of the lawsuit.

I hope I'm really wrong. I'd love to see Duke or UNC at the Rent. I doubt Miami or FSU will visit, but Wake might. I would love to see Missouri, Kansas, KSU Iowa State play us...

Independent might be good for us - if we get teams to play us, teams like KU or Minnesota, not Liberty or Georgia Southern...

 

[huskymedic]

I hope I'm really wrong. I'd love to see Duke or UNC at the Rent.

You usually are: Football to Play Two Game Series Against Duke

 

[HuskyDogArt]

The AD at Wichita State strongly disagrees

I would love see what the AD of WSU said about UConn leaving. Do you have a website about it?

 

[HuskyDogArt]

You usually are: Football to Play Two Game Series Against Duke

As I said I hope I'm wrong and when I am, I am happy. Did it happen after the announcement that we are leaving?

 

[billybud]

Duke, BC, NC State scheduled...and Clemson on a one and done away game.

 

[Adios]

Can't wait for scheduling that alliance with James Madison, Villanova, Lafayette, Lehigh, Amherst, Williams, and Wesleyan.

 

[CL82]

I would love see what the AD of WSU said about UConn leaving. Do you have a website about it?

Well a not website but here's a link to an article on it: "We hate to see them go"

Wichita State athletic director Darron Boatright said there’s no denying it is a blow to the conference.

“To say it isn’t is complete garbage,” Boatright said. “They are a fantastic national brand and operate some great programs, and their men’s basketball program is in a resurgence, which would have led to financial gain for the entire conference.

“It hurts, but we sure understand it. You have to go through and evaluate your institution and what’s best for it, and the term ‘best’ can be defined in many different ways.”

“We hate to see them go, but I don’t blame them if they believe that’s what is best for them,” Boatright said. “They were a fantastic partner of ours and an ally of ours when we were going through the process of trying to get an invitation into the American. I’ll never forget that and our institution will never forget that either. Connecticut will always have a friend in the Shockers.”

 

[billybud]

Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on bra
La-la how their life goes on

Yep, they appreciate UConn...but I see no regret there about being in the AAC either.

 

[CL82]

Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on bra
La-la how their life goes on

Yep, they appreciate UConn...but I see no regret there about being in the AAC either.

Lol, and those need to be mutually exclusive because...?

 

[billybud]

Lol, and those need to be mutually exclusive because...?

Responding to huskyrob's post. He said that he would not be surprised to see the Shockers leave the AAC.